Defensive Driving on the Information Highway:

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Defensive Driving on the Information Highway

• Integrating Reading, Writing, and Technology.
• CLRA 2006

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Who are we?

• Ann Dillon, Adjunct Professor, Reading,
  Vocabulary, Spelling, and Study Skills
• Caryn Newburger, Associate Professor,
  Developmental Writing
• Keith Lorcher, Senior Computer Support
  Technician, SAC Learning Lab

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• Most of the stuff on the information highway is
  road kill.
• John Updike

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Our Available Technology _at_ ACC Learning Labs

• 500 new computers
• Window XP SP2
• MS Office Suite 2003
• T1 internet connection
• Assistive software hardware
• Tutorial software

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Computer Classroom Orientation

• Requested by Instructor at the beginning of each
  semester
• Taught by a Sr. Computer Tech.
• Hands on walk through
• MS Word document formatting
• Tutorial software introduction
• Internet email orientation Uploading
• Handouts
• Blackboard
• Helps students save time

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Word Processing

• Setting up papers correctly (formatting)
• Saving files
• Spelling and grammar check
• Proofreading
• Printing

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Computer-Based Tutorials

• Weaver Instructional Reading Systems
• Reading Comprehension Vocabulary
• Skills Bank
• Writing, Reading, Vocabulary
• Plato
• Study Skills, Reading, Writing More
• Its up to the instructor to preview the
  software for content before assigning it to their
  students.

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Searching the World Wide Web

• Search engines
• Trustworthy Information
• Citing other peoples work
• Filtering out unneeded information

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Handouts

• MS Word processing tips
• Plato quick keys
• Learning Lab schedule
• Learning Lab guidelines
• Bookmarks

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Todays Computer Age Students

• Masters of point and click
• Primarily read headlines
• Many have not finished a book start to finish
• Impatient
• Emoticons

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Problems With Wired Classrooms

• Does away with group studyinteraction
• Need for computer classroom etiquette
• Too many distractions
• Computers are treated as babysitters
• Technology should be used only as a
• supplemental tool.

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Internet Problems

• Blogs
• Whos checking content, spelling and grammar?
• Social sites
• Myspace.com facebook.com
• Instant messaging
• Developing a new language
• Distractions
• Music videos, games, youtube.com
• Cyber Responsibility
• Dog ate my paper

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Surfing the Net

• Preview reading assignments
• Provide background information
• Understand vocabulary

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Surfing in Class

• Explore using search engines
• Learn to compose search phrases
• Practice with connectors/descriptors
• Identify web sources and sponsors
• Supplement instruction

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Exploring Online Sources

• Practicing critical thinking skills
• Making inferences
• Evaluating written arguments
• Drawing logical conclusions

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Seeking Truth

• Jurors creed
• Jurors task
• Identify the issue
• Identify the evidence
• Evaluate the evidence
• Source/sponsor
• Credibility
• Purpose
• Tone
• Determine what may be missing
• Bias
• Reach a decision

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Library Treasure hunt

• Define topic
• Identify search terms
• Select periodical index (Academic Search Premier)
• Select three sources on the same topic and
  evaluate
• Author and publisher (scholarly journal vs.
  magazine)
• Evidence presented
• Type and length of article
• Date
• Search the Net for the same topic using the same
  process
• Compare and contrast the results of both
  searches
• Which is more detailed and documented?
• Which is more credible?

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Supplementing with Software

• Reinforce instruction
• Practice skills learned
• Provide alternate examples
• Add variety to instructional delivery
• Allow students to set the pace
• Support individualized instruction
• Remediate

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Word Processing in Class

• Take lecture notes
• Focus attention
• Practice paraphrasing
• Improve note taking speed
• Take textbook notes
• Help concentration
• Apply reading study systems
• Use subheadings
• Create questions
• Summarize/paraphrase
• Review and Rehearse

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Grammar Check Tool or Crutch?

• Students misuse Grammar Check
• They believe they dont need a solid foundation
  in English grammar and usage.
• They expect computers to think for them.
• They run Grammar Check and are stunned when they
  receive their graded essays.

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Understanding Grammar Check

• A Brief and Basic Linguistic Analysis of two
  sentences
• We are writing essays.
• We are writing students.

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Surface Structures of the Two Sentences

• (Pronoun (1st person (Present
  (Plural noun)
• we) plural of participle
• be) of write)
• We are writing essays.
• (Pronoun (1st person (Present (Plural
  noun)
• we) plural of participle
• be) of write)
• We are writing students.

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Deep Structures of the Two Sentences

• (Pronoun (1st person (Present
  (Plural noun--
• we) plural of participle
  direct object)
• be--auxiliary) of write
• main verb)
• We are writing essays.
• (Pronoun (1st person (Present (Plural
  noun--
• we) plural of participle
  predicate noun)
• be--state of write--
• of being) adjective)
• We are writing students.

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Plagiarism in the 21st Century

• Intentional plagiarism
• Downloading essays
• Buying essays
• Collaborating with accomplished writers

• Inadvertent plagiarism
• Copying and pasting
• Paraphrasing without citing
• Mistaking original contributions as common
  knowledge.

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Combating Rampant Plagiarism

• Intervention
• Plagiarism screening software
• Custom tailored assignments with multiple,
  mini-deadlines
• Instruction in proper paraphrasing
• Instruction in rules about cutting and pasting
• Instruction in M.L.A. or other documentation
  styles

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Helpful Resources for Instructors Dealing with
Plagiarism

• http//library.austincc.edu/help/guides.htm
• (Austin Community Colleges own library
  website contains concise information about
  several documentation styles.)
• http//owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/01/
  
• (Advice for students about avoiding plagiarism)

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Additional Plagiarism Resources

• http//www.plagiarism.org/
• (This site is sponsored by the manufacturers
  of the plagiarism software Turnitin and
  iThenticate, but it does also offer some advice
  on its research page both for students to avoid
  plagiarizing and for faculty to discourage
  plagiarism.)
• http//www.indiana.edu/wts/pamphlets/plagiarism.s
  html
• (Another good site for students with advice
  about proper paraphrasing)

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Web links

• www.austincc.edu/tutor/
• http//library.austincc.edu/
• www.austincc.edu/reading
• www.austincc.edu/writing

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Contact Info

• Ann Dillon
• adillon_at_austincc.edu
• Caryn Newburger
• carynn_at_austincc.edu
• Keith Lorcher
• lorcher_at_austincc.edu

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• Being technologically advanced and sophisticated
  is not the same thing as being literate and
  civilized.
• Barrett Mosbacker